Yarn traversing mechanism for textile machine



Oct. 29, 1968 D. J. FISHER, JR 3,408,014

YARN TRAVERSING MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE MACHINE Filed March 28, 1966INVENTOR. DANIEL J. FISHER JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,408,014 YARN TRAVERSING MECHANISM FORTEXTILE MACHINE Daniel J. Fisher, Jr., North Kingstown, R.I., assignorto Leesona Corporation, Warwick, R.I., a corporation of MassachusettsFiled Mar. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 537,927 2 Claims. (Cl. 24243) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a scattering device for use ina yarn package winding machine. A ratchet-driven eccentric is interposedin the traversing mechanism for the yarn guide of the winding machine. Apawl is slideably mounted adjacent to the ratchet to traverse with it ina reciprocating fashion. Stationary means are mounted in suchrelationship to the pawl as to intercept the pawl and thereby prevent itfrom moving through a portion of each cycle of the reciprocation whichthe traversing mechanism is undergoing. This interception causes thepawl to index the ratchet and thereby rotate the eccentric to change theposition of the yarn guide relative to the driving mechanism impartingthe reciprocating motion. This in turn scatters the location of the endsof each layer of yarn deposited upon the package. A spring returns thepawl to its original location on its slideable mounting after eachinterception.

This invention relates generally to textile machines and, morespecifically, to a textile machine of the type in which the yarn istraversed back and forth along the length of a take-up package by meansof a reciprocating yarn guide.

In the following specification and claims, the term yarn is employed ina general sense to apply to all kinds of strand materials, eithertextile or otherwise, and the designation package is intended to meanthe product of the winding machine, whatever its form.

In the production of cross-wound packages, particu larly those formed ona so-called stretch-yarn machine subsequent to the successive operationsof heating the yarn and applying a false twist thereto, it is desirableto prevent the occurrence of high ends. The latter term refers to thoseridges of yarn which develop at the ends of a package because aproportionately larger amount of yarn is deposited at the end portionsthan at the intermediate locations. This condition is usually due to thenature of the operation of traverse mechanism.

High ends are undesirable, especially in packages wound with stretchyarn because they result in packages having ends of higher density thanintermediate locations. Also, high ends tend to cause trapping of theyarn during over-end delivery due to rolling or migrating of the crestof the knuckle or high end portions. Further, high ends aggravate thetendency of a strand of yarn to engage or latch other strands of yarnduring over-end delivery by reason of the continuous rubbing of the yarnacross the high end.

Basically, the invention resides in the placement between the traversedrive and the yarn guide of a device which periodically superimposes amotion to the traverse bar which at one end of the package is eitheradditional to or subtractive from the standard motion imparted theretoby the traverse drive. That is to say, each subsequent stroke of theyarn guide longitudinally of the package being wound is identical inlength to the previous stroke although ensuing strokes are offset orstaggered with respect to preceding strokes so as to allow the yarndelivered near the end at the traverse stroke to be "ice betterdistributed and thus equalize the density and diameter of the package.An eccentric device which will be fully described subsequently in thedetailed description of the invention is so designed that eachsuccessive offset is either greater in length or less than that of theprevious stroke. Thus, rather than over-lapping one another, the strandsof yarn lie adjacent to one another at the package end and form a smoothpackage having an improved profile.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device whichwill prevent the occurrence of high ends on a yarn package being Wound.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device which willalter the limits of the yarn guide or successive passes across thesurface of the package being wound.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an eccentricdevice located between the traverse drive and the yarn guide to providea wound package having a substantially uniform and even profile.

Other and further objects will become apparent upon a reading of thedescription which follows, taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a portion of a winding machineemploying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation view showing in detail thescattering device comprising the invention herein, in a differentposition than in FIG. 1, and with parts broken away and removed forclearer illustration;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of thedevice illustrated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing of the typical movement imparted to theyarn guide of a winding machine modified to employ the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1 0f the drawing, a package in the winding stateis seen at 10, its core C being suitably mounted for rotation on arotatable shaft 12. A drive roll 14, whose surface is composed of corkor other material having a high coefficient of friction, is rotatablymounted on drive shaft 16 and is in driving engagement with package 10.The package 10 is spring biased against drive roll 14 by means notherein illustrated. Shaft 16 is connected with a suitable power sourcewhich serves to drive this shaft.

A yarn guide 18 is positioned in close proximity to the take-up roll orpackage 10. The yarn guide 18 is fixed on a traverse bar 20 and is movedin response to reciprocation of said traverse bar from a positionadjacent one end of package 10 to a position adjacent the other endthereof. To this end traverse bar 20 is connected to a bellcrank 24through the scattering device 22. Reciprocatory motion is imparted tobell-crank 24 by means of a follower 28 fixed to bell-crank 24 andriding in groove 30 of a cam 26. Bell-crank 24 is guided in its'back-and-forth movement by instrumentalities not shown and forming nopart of the present invention.

Turning now primarily to FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrating scattering device 22in greater detail, a bearing block 32 is seen attached at one of itsends to traverse bar 20, a nut 34 securing the two elements together ina snug fashion. Fixed to bearing block 32 as by screws 36 is a yokemember 38 having a pair of upright, spaced-apart ears, 40 and 42, whichare apertured to receive a pawl mem! ber 44 for horizontal slidingmovement and vertical movement on ear 40. A spring 46, whose purposewill be subsequently described, is fastened at one of its ends to pawlmember 44 by a screw 45. The opposite end of the spring is connected toupright car 42. A stub shaft 48 is rotatably received in bearing block32 and an eccentric portion 50 of the stub shaft 48 is exposed through aslot 52 formed in the bearing block.

A link 54 connects the eccentric portion 50 of stub shaft 48 tobell-crank 24, the link being fastened to the bellcrank as by a stud 56.Ratchet wheel 58 having a plurality of serrations or notches 59 aroundthe periphery thereof is keyed to an end of shaft 48 which projectsbeyond the confines of bearing block 32 and is hel din place by means ofbolt 60 which is threadedly fastened thereto. A plurality of pockets orrecesses 61 of suitable shape are formed on the surface of the ratchetwheel adjacent bearing block 32. The recesses 61 are spaced at equalradial distances, one pocket or recess for each notch formed in theratchet wheel. A spring 62, positioned in a socket 64 urges a ball 66into engagement with one of said recesses 61. The resiliency of thespring 62 permits disengagement of the ball from any recess 61 uponrotation of the ratchet wheel until the next recess moves into positionto receive the ball therein.

An operating rod 68 is supported on structural portions of the machineby means not illustrated and receives a slide member 72 apertured forsliding engagement thereon. The slide member 72 is fastened to link 54by means of bolt 74 with said slide member 72 being engageable with astop member 70 which is fixed on rod 68 in response to motion frombell-crank 24. Said rod 68 may be a portion of a known buffer mechanismwhich acts to control deceleration of the traverse rod 20.

A restraining member 76 which may consist of a spacer sleeve 77 securedto stationary structural element 78 of the machine is positioned forengagement by the end of pawl member 44. Thus, it will be seen thatrightward movement of scattering device 22 from the position shown inFIG. 1, after contacting engagement of member 76 by the end of pawlmember 44 will cause extension of spring 46 as the pawl member slidesthrough the apertures in yoke 38 to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The significance of the structure just described will be made evidentfrom the following account of the inventions operation. The phenomenonof high ends, it will be recalled, is caused by the inherent nature ofthe traverse mechanism and refers to those ridges of yarn which developat the ends of a package for the reason that a proportionately largeramount of yarn is deposited at the ends than at the intermediatelocations. It follows that the diameter of the package grows morerapidly and said package is more densely wound at the ends thanelsewhere.

The device disclosed herein interrupts the synchronism between thetake-up roll and the yarn guide at the ends of the roll so as to causestaggering of the yarn lays, thus avoiding the undesirable condition ofhigh, dense ends. Referring again to FIG. 1, it will be appreciated thatif scattering device 22 is assumed to be replaced by an extension oftraverse bar 20, the reciprocation of hellcrank 24 upon rotation of cam30 will be imparted to yarn guide 18 via traverse bar 20. Under thisassumption, the identical stroke length of bell-crank 24 is imparted tothe yarn guide again and again whereupon the reversal points of the yarnwill be identical.

By reason of scattering device 22, however, the reversal points oftraverse bar and, hence, yarn guide 18 are varied at each reversal.Thus, each time the yarn guide approaches the right hand end of packageroll 10, the end of pawl 44 strikes member 76 and its movement isterminated, even as block 32 and all elements fixed thereto continues tomove. In this manner, upright cars 40 and 42 slide along pawl member 44serving to extend spring 46. Ratchet wheel 58 moves into engagement withthe pawl and is rotated a circumferential distance equal to the pitch ofone tooth. As the ratchet wheel is rotated, ball 66 is urged againstspring 62 as it moves out of its first associated recess and is thenbiased by the spring into the next recess whereby the wheel is arrestedagainst further rotation until the next stroke of bell-crank 24. Whenthe block 32 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 1, the pawl 44rides over a serration 59 and lifts in its slot in car 40. Thisintermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel rotates stub shaft 48 andeccentric 50 thereon which effects a change in the distance betweenbell-crank 24 and the yarn guide. With the stroke of yarn guide 18across the surface of take-up package 10 thus continually altered, thetendency of the yarn being wound to build higher at the ends thereofrather than in the central regions is obviated. Hence, with the reversalpoints scattered the result is a package smooth from one end to theother and having a uniform density.

FIG. 4 illustrates, in a greatly exaggerated manner, a typicalpositioning of successive strokes a, b, and c of yarn guide 18 acrossthe surface of winding package 10.

Therefore, there has been disclosed herein a device, heretofore unknown,which will prevent the occurrence of high ends and which will assure theformation of a package having uniform density throughout. In thismanner, there will be no tendency for yarn breakage or sloughing upon aredraw operation; further, the package Will be of a superior uniformdensity, highly suitable for a subsequent dyeing operation.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it should be understood that the same is merely for thepurpose of illustration and that changes and modifications may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for winding a yarn package having opposite ends, saidapparatus comprising guiding means operable for engaging and advancingstrand of yarn and traversing the strand to and fro axially from end toend of said package to wind a plurality of yarn layers thereon,

linkage means mounted for reciprocating movement and having a first partand a second part,

said first part being connected with said guiding means for moving theguiding means to and fro responsive to reciprocating movement of thesecond part to and fro,

traversing means connected with said second part of said linkage meansfor reciprocating said second part to and fro,

and an end positioning mechanism between said parts operable to vary thespacing between said parts for axially varying the position of oppositeends of successive layers of yarn on the said package, said mechanismcomprising an eccentric crank rotatably mounted on said linkage meansand operably connecting said first and second parts thereof, operatingmeans for rotating said crank step by step in one direction comprising aratchet wheel, means mounting said ratchet wheel for rotating saidcrank, pawl means to rotate said ratchet wheel, and means responsive tothe operation of said traversing means for operating said pawl to rotatesaid ratchet wheel step by step, the improvement wherein said meansresponsive to the operation of said traversing means includes means forslideably mounting said pawl on said linkage means for reciprocationtherewith,

stationary means mounted to intercept said pawl and thereby prevent saidpawl from completing a portion of each cycle of its said reciprocationwith said linkage means, causing said pawl to slide with respect to saidlinkage means and to actuate the rotation of said ratchet wheel,

and spring means opposing the said sliding motion of said pawl.

5 6 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising spring- 2,433,304 12/1947 Stream 24243 loaded ball detent means to prevent the rotation ofsaid 2,611,549 9/1952 Kinsella 24226.3 ratchet wheel other than asactuated by said pawl. 2,737,352 3/1956 Kernan 242-261 R f C1 d2,922,591 1/ 1960 Hope 242-26.3

e W 5 FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 612 1903 Great Britain.1,503,441 7/1924 Woodcock et a1 242---43.1 1,770,397 7/ 1930 Furness24226.2 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

2,338,722 1/ 1944 Jackson 242-43

